Local Libraries and Free Schools

In many respects, Free schools are similar to local libraries. Both are for the community, free, and places for learning. In fact, our slogan, “Community. Freedom. Learning.”, applies equally well to local libraries (the slogan would also apply to public schools, but they are only for children). One of the reasons we started our free school was to increase the freedom among the people involved in the learning process. We wanted a broader range of activities not limited to those held at libraries with a greater control over all the aspects of coordinating activities. In a sense, one main difference between local libraries and free schools is that the former is rooted in their physical facilities while the latter is free to go anywere. One metaphor would be that local libraries are like plants and free schools are like animals. Then, just like the natural world, these two types of organizations should be able to enjoy heathy co-existence.